


SM Omega-Verse

by orphan_account



Category: Sad Milk, Video Blogging RPF, Youtube RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Illnesses, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Violence, No Sex, No Smut, Nudity, Partial Nudity, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:20:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27028738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Wonderstruck is certain he's just a beta, then he's hit with a mysterious illness.
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Wonder wakes up to his phone alarm, but goes back to sleep. He doesn't have to be at the studio until ten anyway.

When he finally does wake up, his skin is sticky with sweat and his joints ache like he had hit the gym thrice in one day. He groans as he rolls to sit on the side of his bed. He grabs for his phone to check the time, it reads '8:39am'. He doesn't have time for this.

He stands and makes his way to the shower, perhaps the warm water will help with his aches. Once under the water, Wonder relaxes and feels his muscles loosen.

He pauses in his cleaning as his stomach coils, similarly to when he saw Salty down an entire can of whip cream in one sitting; gross. He brushs it off as him not eaten anything.

Dried and dressed, Wonder stops by the kitchen to grab something, anything really, to eat. He finds crackers and with his time crunch, they'll have to do. It is now nine, fourty-four and it is a twenty minute bike ride to the studio. If he had woken up to his alarm, he could have caught the bus.

The bike ride is uncomfortable to say the least. Wonder finds himself out of breath more often than usual. The seat hurts, and he struggles to stay upright when he stands on the pedals. It is ten, eleven when he finally makes it to the studio garage. He chains his bike and heads inside.

Surprisingly, things are calm and orderly. Oz and Click are fighting with the old coffee maker. One Topic is showing Salty how he creates backgrounds in photoshop. Illuminaughtii is at her desk, probably researching a video topic. Flinders rounds the corner and spots Wonder in the entryway. "Somebody's late again." He teases. 

Wonder can't find the coherency to respond. His senses feel overwhelmed. Pheromones sit heavy in the air and he swears he can taste them even through his face mask.

Flinders notices that Wonder's skin has paled. "Hey, you alright?" He steps closer to get a better look at his friend. Then stops. He can smell it and he panics a little. "What?" Flinders stumbles over his words. 

Wonder feels light-headed, so leans heavily against the wall. His body thumps against it as he does. His skin feels too cold and too warm at the same time. He breifly thinks he might be dying. 

Flinders manages to get the group's attention in his panic and they crowd around. "I thought he was a beta!" Oz screeches, scrunching up his nose. "Well, if he were a beta, he wouldn't be going into heat, now would he, Ozzy Wozzy?" Click argues. Illuminaughtii sighs in frustration. "Don't start! We need to make sure he's okay." 

Wonder is still in a daze, but is able to understand his friends. How is he going into heat? He is way past maturity and hasn't had a single sliver of a heat in his whole life. 

"We should get him to the couch, he looks like he's about to pass out." Salty suggests, pointing out how Wonder seems to be slinking to the floor. One Topic moves first, wrapping an arm around Wonder and letting the other lean against him. With the Click's help, they get Wonder to the couch where he immediately curls in on himself.

Everyone steps back and eyes the young man. "So, what do we do?" Flinders asks, shaken. "We keep an eye on him. If he gets worse, we take him to a doctor for... suppressants, I guess." Illuminaughtii decides. Click snickers. "Eye see what you did there. Keeping an eye on him." He finger guns Illuminaughtii, who just covers her face with her hand. Oz grumbles. "Fucking degenerate."

The group slowly disperses back into their previous activities, except with Illuminaughtii keeping Oz nearby and Flinders hovering between Oz and Click. Click occasionally goes to press the back of his hand to Wonder's forehead and cheek to make sure he's not getting too hot. Wonder is starting to breath heavy, and Click pulls his mask down, so he can breath easier.

Click then calls One Topic over. "He's getting worse and his smell is clearly upsetting everyone else." Click explains, being a great candidate for Captain Obvious. One Topic groans and crosses his arms. "But what can we do? We can't just carry him back to his place - he could get into serious trouble." Click raises an eyebrow. "With the law or just other people?" One Topic scoffs. "Both!" One Topic whisper screams. Click nods knowingly. There a regulations in place, forbidding individuals in heat from being in public. On top of that, a lot of alphas seem to lack self control. 

On the otherside of the garage, Salty quickly gathers his things and beelines for the door. He stops and turns. "Alright, I'm out. Peace!" He then leaves. Illuminaughtii groans, then stands from her desk. "Yah, I'm going to go too. Come on, Oz." Oz hisses. "Why do I have to go?"

Illuminaughtii snaps. "Because I said so." The man throws his hands up and follows her out. Flinders silently slips out behind them, leaving Click and One Topic with Wonder.

One Topic frowns. "I should go too." Click gasps. "No way, you're not leaving me in this mess by myself." One Topic almost whines. "Click, I'm an alpha. You're a beta. You can handle this way better than I can!" Click puts his hands on his hips. "And just what am I supposed to do? I'm not the coddling type. That's your thing." One Topic looks to the side thinking. Click continues. "Besides, what if another alpha smells him through the door? I can't fight off an alpha - let alone one that's gone into a rut!" One Topic hangs his head. "Fine, but I'm staying over there." He points over his shoulder to the other side of the room.

Wonder is slowly coming back to himself, having adjusted to the tossed salad of pheromones. He can hear voices and the door and assumes everyone left. He curls into himself more, not just feeling physically ill but emotionally too. His friends seemed pretty upset before and it is kind of his fault. He's not sure how though. Maybe he should have just stayed home. He wasn't feeling well in the first pkace.

A hand on Wonder's forehead interrupts his thoughts. He figured everyone had left. The hum that came from behind him brought him comfort. He isn't sure why. The hand moves to his cheek and Wonder can't help leaning into it. "Oh, are you awake?" That's Clicks voice. Wonder assumes that makes sense. His friends choosing to leave a beta with him, as betas don't go into ruts like alphas, or share heats like omegas; and he seems to be starting a cycle.

The hand leaves his cheek and Wonder blinks his eyes open to glare at Click. Click laughs. "You look cute when your mad." His smile falls. "How are you doing?" Click asks, seriously. Wonder sighs and tests his voice. "As good as I can be... After nearly dying by suffocation."

"Ah, yes." Click perks up. "The stuffy aroma of alphas. They're so rude, just leaving their scent everywhere." Wonder can only nod at what he presumes is a joke.

Then another wave of aches wash over him. Wonder arches in pain and gasps for air. Click does his best to comfort him with gentle pats. "You're doing great." Click's encouragement falls on deaf ears. Wonder is too focused on the pain to listen.

Click frowns, then glares at One Topic, who's watching with concern from a distance. "Get over here." Click growls. One Topic shakes his head, not trusting his voice. Click marches over to the other. "Get over there and hold him like the cuddle bear you are!" He hisses. "I can't." One Topic argues, voice quiet. 

"I can't do anything for him. At least get close enough he can smell you." Click tries to bargain.

"What! Why?"

"It'll help with the pain. But it has to be an alpha scent, which is you. You're an alpha."

One Topic sighs in defeat and goes to sit on the floor by the coffee table, keeping the table between him and Wonder. Click seems satisfied with this and goes back to petting at Wonder.

Wonder feels the tension lessen and the aches dull to an almost pleasant throb. He's sweaty and gross, but is too stiff to do anything about it. He knows One Topic is there, heard his voice and can now smell him. Wonder feels a spike of anxiety at having an alpha around, especially now that he seems to be in heat. He tries to squash the concerns with logic. One Topic is his friend and Wonder is fairly certain the alpha wouldn't do anything without his approval. But then that brought up the question of what he would be willing to approve. 

Click changes his gentle pats to rubs as Wonder eases into the couch. He sighs in relief, seeing his plan work. Though, he worries how long One Topic will be able to handle the close proximity.

The time is two, twenty-three and Wonder is starving. "Do we have anything to eat?" He asks, glancing up at Click. "I'm not sure, hold on." Click stands and finds the mini-fridge next to the coffee maker. Inside, there's a mix of water bottles, energy drinks and soda. No food. He slams the door, causing the drinks to rattle.

Wonder tries to turn over on his back, wincing at the painful twangs in his lower back. He pauses in his shuffling when he sees One Topic watching him. At least, he assumes so. He can't tell where the other is looking with his glasses. Wonder feels his face flush. Ignoring the alpha, Wonder tries again to get comfortable on couch.

"So, we only have drinks, which is fine, but we may end up staying the night here." Click returns to the couch. One Topic turns to frown at his friend. "So, what are we supposed to eat? And we don't have clothes?" Click shrugs, then has an 'ah-ha' moment. "Hey Topicy?" Click squats beside his friend, grinning. One Topic leans away, knowing that tone. Click wants something. "Why don't you call Human1 to bring us some clothes and snacks?"

One Topic relaxes at the tame suggestion, but he immediately tenses again. Bringing back his quiet shout, he argues against the idea. "Human1 can't come in here, she's an alpha too!" Click waves a hand. "You two adore each other; I doubt you'l challenge each other." Not comforting, One Topic still refuses.

Wonder huffs, he's hungry, tired, in pain and getting agitated. "Why don't we just order delivery?" He growls and crosses his arms, trying to shoosh his empty stomach, which is actually making the cramps worse. Click and One Topic glance over, both knowing why that is a bad idea. One Topic gives in, calls Human1 and quickly explains his situation.

Click returns to Wonder's side as One Topic calls Human1. "You know, I'm still curious. How'd you manage to convince everyone you were a beta?" Wonder groans. "As far as I know, I'm still a beta! I don't know what this is or why it's happening." Wonder reaches to rub his eyes, attempting to smudge the stress away.

Click hums, thinking. Then nods. "Yah, I guess that would make sense. Since this did come on so suddenly." Click crosses his arms and leans against the couch, back to Wonder. "But does this mean you're an omega now, or just a beta with heats?"

Wonder grimaces. "I... I don't know. I don't want to think about it really." 

"Well, when this is all over you should really see your doctor. There might be something wrong with a gland or some chemical imbalance." Click begins to lecture. Wonder is quick to interupt him. "If that's the case, shouldn't I have seen a doctor sooner? Like Illuminaughtii suggested?"

"Ah," Click agrees. "You're right, but we're didn't do that because you smell so nice right now." Wonder groans and rolls his eyes in responce to Click's flirt.

One Topic sits on the floor and folds his arms across the coffee table before pressing his face into his forearms.

"So, is Human1 bringing us the goods?" Click presses. One Topic looks up and sighs. "Yah, although I'm not sure we'll any have clothes that fit either of you." 

Click shrugs. "It'll be fine. Won't be the first time I've slept in my day clothes."

An hour later and Human1's at the door with a duffle bag of sweats and hoodies, and a plastic sack loaded with subs. "I used your credit card." She tells One Topic as he takes the sandwiches from her. "That's fine. I'm going to eat it, so I might as well pay for it." Human1 follows One Topic into the garage with the bag. "Also, I wasn't sure what clothes to bring. So, I just dumped your 'fluff drawer' into a bag." One Topic flushes in embarrassment. "Thanks Human1." He quickly takes the duffle bag, hiding it under the table.

"Oh, a fluff drawer? One Topic, now what would you have in there?" Click hums. One Topic shoves him. "It's just comfy clothes." Human1 laughs at the two, then pauses. Wonder has managed to get off the couch and come over. He ignores them, snatches a sub and begins taking it apart. "They're plain and dry. I didn't want you all complaining." Human1 announces. Wonder mumbles his thanks, a little distracted by a new alpha scent.

Human1 leans into One Topic and whispers. "He smells really nice." One Topic panics a little. "Human1!" He keeps his voice hush. She laughs. "Don't worry, I like you better." She pats his cheek, smiling. This doesn't put One Topic at ease.

Then Human1 makes her way to the door. "Alright, I'll see you boys later. Don't get into too much trouble." She waves. Click tilts his head. "You're not going to stay and eat?" Human1 smiles. "No, I'm going to eat the last of the ham we have in the fridge."

One Topic gasps. "You can't eat all of that!"

"Watch me!" With that she turns and leaves.

"How much ham is there?" Click asks. One Topic spins around. "Its a whole ham!" He throws his hands up to show how big a ham is. "We only took a few slices out of it."

"Really?" Click arches his brow. "And here I thought alphas would eat everything in sight - especially when it came to meat!" Click wavers his words for emphasis. One Topic frowns. "That's just a stereotype." Click confuses his words, stumbling to reply. "No, that's not... I meant in the naughty way." One Topic gasps. "No." 

Wonder is actually thankful to be forgotten by his friends. It gave him time to think as he tore into his sandwich. 

When he was young his family was never sure of his orientation as he physically presented as an omega, meaning he has the reproductive parts, but he acted nothing like an omega. Still, he lacked "marking glands"; glands used by alphas to scent mark their mates. 

So, when he finally reached puberty, his family had waited anxiously for him to enter a heat cycle. He never did. He had to be blood tested in high school to see for sure what his orientation was and it came back he was a beta- he is a beta. Wonder squints at nothing, wracking his brain for any clue as to what was going on. Betas couldn't have heats. That's part of being a beta.

Giving up for now on finding a solution, Wonder takes up another sandwich.

The sandwiches vanish within the hour, and the time is five, fourteen. One Topic is now going through the duffle bag. Wonder is back on the couch and Click is finding entertainment on his phone, which he has plug into the wall.

Wonder feels another wave of warmth wash over him, and groans in frustration. He just wants this to be over with!


	2. Chapter 2

Flinders hurriedly unlocks the door to his flat, slips in and slams the door behind him. He grumbles to himself about laws being in place to prevent his very predicament. Then he finds himself in an argument with himself about how Wonder, a beta, could even have a heat cycle. 

All in all, it doesn't really matter now. Flinders' own heat cycle has been triggered by Wonder's pheromones and it isn't just going to go away.

So, Flinders sets about to gather snacks, bottled waters and towels. He organizes it all into neat piles on and around his bed. His room acting as a den, rather than a nesting area. Something many alphas do not understand. 

Flinders sighs with satisfaction at his organization skills. It would be a day or two before his heat hit full force, so he decides to distract himself with video games. 

The hours pass with only slight discomfort. A mild cramp here and there, but Flinders is able to ignore them. Night falls and the room grows dark. The only light coming from the television. 

Flinders puts down his controller and digs into his nightstand. His increasing cramps, becoming less of a distraction and more of a problem. He searches blindly for the bottle of Tylenol he keeps. After a couple hundred milligrams and an entire bottle of water, he flops back onto his comforter and stares at the ceiling.

He tries to think of a way to turn his situation into something good, but only comes up with the thought that he could have a family and that isn't something he is interested in right now. Maybe when he becomes financially stable and can afford his own car, not that he would buy one. Public transit is just fine.

Flinders mind drifts back to how he got where he is currently, hidden in his den about to go into heat. Wonder had told them he was a beta and they all believed him. He never gave off pheromones, never had a heat nor gone into a rut. Its the thought of multiple betas around that makes Flinders comfortable in a small garage of alphas. 

If Wonder is in heat, it means he is an omega, right? So that means one less beta around to keep tensions loose and one more omega to increase tensions. Flinders shakes his head and rolls over onto his stomach, burying his face in his crossed arms. He really shouldn't worry, should he?

The entire group is pretty liberal when it comes to secondary gender roles, so Flinders doubts the change would actually effect their relationships. Heck, One Topic would often insist your secondary gender doesn't define who you are as a person. He actually gets angry when anyone tries to say otherwise. Flinders feels his skin prickle at a specific memory. A repairman, there to fix the garage's bathroom sink, had made an off handed, but rather demeaning comment about Flinders being there. One Topic had then picked the guy up by an arm and a leg, without warning, and threw him out the door. It shocked everybody really, but right now all Flinders can think about it is the brazen display of alpha-hood.

Needing a distraction from a possible fantasy, Flinders reaches for and glances at his phone. Another hour has passed and he notes gratefully that the cramps are diminishing. He sighs as he presses his face into the bedding, ready for sleep.

He is awoken abruptly to a full body ache. Flinders groans and tries to flex his joints to ease the pain. He is sweaty and gross, his clothes stick to him. He quickly downs another dose of Tylenol and two bottles of water. He gasps after finishing the second bottle. He is panting like he just ran a marathon. He wants to just lay there and wait for it all to be over.

Still, he feels gross and hot water would help ease his aches and pains. So, Flinders forces himself up and winces as his muscles twang. He pauses as nausea settles in his stomach. He'll have to eat something soon. The last thing he needs is an ulcer because he didn't take the pain relievers with food. 

First, a shower. 

Flinders starts up the shower and tries to balance the temperature between warm and too hot. Eventually throwing in the figurative towel and switching the water to cool. He only manages to get his hair clean before feeling light headed. He rinses his hair and turns off the water leaning against the shower wall. In the back of his mind, he suspects his heat is starting too quickly, but his thoughts are fuzzy, making it difficult to concentrate.

Not bothering to dry off, Flinders drags himself back to his den, using nearby furniture and walls as support. He flops onto the bed, vision now swimming and cramps returning. He takes a deep breath in and closes his eyes, having a brief moment of clarity. This heat is reacting faster than usual. Flinders worries if that means it'll be worse than usual. 

The next hour is spent air drying on the bed, wet hair soaking the comforter. Flinders finally psychs himself up enough to sit up for another dose of tylenol. He grips the ends of the bed, waiting for his head to settle again. The world stops spinning and Flinders reaches for another bottle of water. His phone vibrates, alerting him of a new message. After downing more tylenol, Flinders grabs his phone and thumbs through the lock screen. 

Surprisingly, its from the SadMilk chatroom. Opening discord, Flinders finds Illuminaughtii has posted a message. "Just want to make sure everyone is okay today." That's it. Flinders wonders if Illuminaughtii is okay, because she normally has more to say. So he replies. "I guess I'm doing alright, how are you holding up?" He stares at his screen for a few seconds, internally grumbling about his own misspellings, before darkening it and setting the phone aside. 

Then he feels his stomach grumble and is reminded he hasn't eaten since yesterday. Flinders locates the snacks he's stock piling and not caring about health or diet, unwraps a chocolate bar. His phone vibrates again. It's Illuminaughtii. "I guess, I'm doing good, better than yesterday. Oz, I know you're going to read this, so thank you!"

In a better mood, Flinders would giggle at how well those two got along. It was amazing, honestly. Most would assume their personalities would clash and they wouldn't get along at all, but they managed to be super close friends. 

Flinders starts to darken his screen but pauses when Salty starts typing. "I'm fine, but has anyone heard from One Topic? I messaged him directly earlier this morning and he hasn't even seen it."

That's odd, One Topic is usually pretty diligent about getting back to people. Flinders says so in the chat.

Illuminaughtii replies. "Does anyone have Human1's contact? We could ask her."

Oz quickly joins the conversation. "They're both probably busy! Leave them alone - jesus christ."

Flinders sends a barf emoji in responce. He really didn't want to think about that, especially right now. His reply get two thumbs up reactions. With nothing else to say, he darkens his phone and returns to his chocolate.

The day passes in a blur, a lot of important details forgotten. Well, not that important, but important to Flinders. Like, where did his clothes go? Why is his bed littered with chip and candy wrappers? What happened to the tylenol bottle? Who is calling him right now?

Flinders holds his phone up and squints at the screen. His vision is too cloudy to read the caller ID, but he can see the red and green bottons. Deciding against his better judgement, Flinders swipes to answer the call.

"Hey man, are you okay? You went AWOL and eveyone got a bit worried." It's Salty. Because of course it would be the only other alpha in the group. Flinders groans and grumbles that he's fine, this specific heat just sucks major balls.

"Dude, do I need to call an ambulance or send Oz over?" Flinders glares at the wall, why would he need either of those? He hisses that's he's fine, and it's only then that he realizes, he's not actually saying words. He's just making noises. The realization hits him so hard he lets out a sob.

"Okay, I'm calling Oz." Salty decides after hearing his friend so upset. Flinders screeches, managing to say 'No!'

"Flinders, you are not okay. We're just going to have Oz check on you. He's a beta, remember?" Salty sounds more and more concerned, and it's really messing with Flinders head.

"I'm going to call you back after I call Oz, okay? Don't want you left alone, in case anything happens." Then Salty hangs up.

Flinders lowers the phone from his ear and stares at it. He is vaguely aware that he's not himself, that he's not even the self he is normally when he's in heat. Something's very wrong, he's just not sure what.

Oz checks his phone again to be sure he has the right building. Salty had asked him to check in on Flinders after talking to the omega over the phone. "He wasn't even there, man. It sounded like he was trying to talk but it was just gibberish. Then he started crying." Oz agreed to stop by, but was rushed after Flinders wouldn't answer Salty's call backs or any calls from Illuminaughtii or himself. Everyone is worried something happened.

Oz steps out of his car and glances up the stairs. Flinders is in apartment B6, which will be at the end of the second floor. After ensuring his car is locked, Oz starts for the stairs. As he reaches the top, he can hear shouting, but can't make out anything being said. Glancing down the rail, Oz sees two people outside Flinders' door. Concern bubbles up as he approaches. 

It's a man and woman and they seem to be in the midst of a territorial dispute. Oz feels his chest tighten, only alphas get into dispute territory, but this is supposed to be an alpha free complex. So, where did these two come from?

Oz stops a few yards away, weighing his options. He could try sneaking past them, but with his height and stature they would surely notice him. He could try to calm them down enough to convince them to leave, though this was easier with just one alpha. He could also challenge them, which individually he could easily knock them both flat, but at the same time there's little chance of him coming out on top. Even if he did win, he could have some serious injuries.

Deciding to confront them and praying by some miracle his beta scent will calm them down enough to listen to him, Oz approaches the disputing alphas. "Hey!" He calls out as he gets closer. The man spins around and charges him. Maybe he should have tried to sneak by. The man swings, aiming for Oz's face. He swings too low, hitting Oz's arms which he put up in defense. The man doesn't get the chance to throw another punch as the woman jumps onto his back and claws at his face. The man stumbles and the two alphas fall to the ground.

While they try to reorient themselves, Oz gets to where he's going, unlocking Flinders door with the spare the other had given him for this very occasion. Oz shoves the door open, the chain lock snapping and hitting him in the face. He doesn't give himself time to think about it as he slips inside and slams the door shut. He deadbolts it and looks around for something to barricade the door with. He spots a decorative cabinet and quickly drags it to block the door. Then he waits.

He can still hear the two alphas fighting, can hear when one slams the other to the ground, can hear their angry screams. Its honestly terrifying and Oz is certain he's never seen alphas get this riled up before. Another loud thump and then silence. Oz assumes one of the alphas has won and prepares to hold the door shut. Nothing happens. Confused, Oz looks through the peep hole. He can see the man on the ground in the corner, Oz hopes he's just unconscious and not dead. He searches around for the woman, but he can't find her. Not trusting her to stay gone, Oz hangs around the door. He leans against the wall as he catches his breath. He groans and runs a hand through his hair. 

Oz pulls out his phone with the intent to let Illuminaughtii know what happened, when a thump from the door causes him to jump. He moves to hold the cabinet in place. Two more thumps come from the other side. Then nothing. Oz counts to fifty before straightening and peeking through the peephole again. He could see the woman now. She lay in a heap at the door, blood dripping down her forehead. 

Oz sighs and pulls out his phone again, this time calling an ambulance for the two alphas outside. He explains his situation and clarifies, rather aggressively, that no alpha responders could come. The dispatcher seems to understand and assures Oz that they'll send an all beta unit. 

Ending the call, Oz pockets his phone. Illuminaughtii can wait, right now he needs to find Flinders and make sure he's okay. He walks through the living room and down the hall to where he thinks Flinders' bedroom should be. The bedroom is there and it's a mess, food wrappers all over the floor and empty water bottles strewn about, but Flinders is nowhere in sight. Oz checks the blankets and other side of the bed to be sure the other man isn't curled up hiding or something. He's not there. Panic begins to set in and Oz clasps his hands atop of his head. His thoughts jump to the assumption that Flinders has been abducted. 

Then he hears the faint sound of spraying water. Oz drops his hands and tries to follow the sound. He finds the bathroom, in an odd place outside the kitchen, and a cold running shower. The bed comforter is piled up on the shower floor, with what Oz assumes to be a person folded up underneath it.

Oz feels his pulse jump as he thinks he might find Flinders dead in the shower. He takes in a deep breath to steady himself, kneels down and reaches to pull the comforter back. His hand shaking as he grabs the soaking fabric. Slowly, he peels it back. Flinders is sat with his knees to his chest, head resting on his arms. Oz can't speak. Then he sees Flinders shiver and relief floods his body. 

He sets a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hey?" Oz gently shakes Flinders' shoulder trying to get his attention. "Hey, Flinders?" The younger man rolls his head to the side to blearily look at Oz. Flinders' pupils are blown so wide Oz can't see his irises. "Shit, are you okay?" Flinders doesn't answer, just closing his eyes. Oz curses again. "Of course, you're not okay." 

Oz leans forward under the cold spray to gather the omega in his arms, hoisting him up, leaving the comforter on the floor. "Alright, let's at least get you out of the water, it's freezing!" Oz stands, balancing Flinders weight against his chest. Its only now that Oz notices the omega is nude. While it makes sense why Flinders is nude, it doesn't change how weird it feels, especially when Oz can feel the skin of Flinders back and thighs against his arms. Pushing the awkwardness aside, Oz makes his way back to Flinders bedroom.

Flinders' eyes crack open again and stare hollowly up at his friend. Oz has blood trailing down his face from where the chain lock had struck him. The water causing the dried blood to trickle down again.

Oz sets Flinders on the bed and pulls back to go find something for Flinders to wear. Flinders grabs at his arms and holds him. Oz scoffs. "You need to let go of me. I'm not leaving, just need to get you a few things." Flinders doesn't loosen his hold. 

Giving up for the time being, Oz tries to sit next to the younger man. Apparently, Flinders isn't okay with just sitting next to each other because he throws his legs in Oz's lap and presses himself to Oz's side. It's an awkward and probably uncomfortable position to sit in, but Flinders seems content to just sit there like that.

Oz tries to shrink in on himself, not liking the contact at all. He couldn't find any where safe to rest his hands, so one is tucked against his chest with the other thrown behind him. Both he and Flinders are still wet from the shower and the cold is causing Oz to shiver. Glancing over, Oz sees Flinders has stopped shivering and is only a little glad, because he's still cold and wet, with no change of clothes. He could probably fit into some of Flinders' larger, graphic tees though, so Oz will steal one when the omega lets him up. Pants are another issue. He will just have to deal with wet pants, because there is no way he can fit into any of Flinders' pants, not even his sweats.

Flinders shifts in Oz's lap, yanking him from his internal mulling. He looks over to see if the omega will move off and their eyes meet. Flinders eyes are empty and glazed over. It scares Oz and he tries to turn his head away. Flinders grabs his face in his hands and forces them to maintain their gaze. Its really unnerving. Oz feels like he's seeing just a ghost of his friend. 

Then Flinders leans his face closer to Oz's and Oz panics, thinking that Flinders might try to kiss him. He grabs the omegas wrist and tries to pull back, but Flinders is faster. Oz squeezes his eyes shut, then almost opens them when he feels a tongue run across the bridge of his nose. Flinders pulls back and Oz opens his eyes. The two just stare at each other as Oz process what just happened. Oz's hand wonders up to feel between his eyes and he winces. There's a deep cut there and at the time Oz can't think of how he got it.

Flinders then flops back on the bed, eyes closing. Oz takes the opportunity to flee. Mind swimming, he tries to focus on things he needs to get done. The shower is still running, so he quickly shuts that off. Flinders needs something to wear, underwear at least. Oz return to the bedroom to find Flinders asleep. He digs through the younger man's closet and isn't surprised to find it as messy as the bedroom. The dirty clothes don't even have a hamper, they just sit in a pile on the floor. Oz manages to find a pair of shorts and tank for Flinders, and a clean shirt he's going to borrow.

Oz leaves the clothes for Flinders on the edge of the bed, deciding it would be easier to get them on the omega once he's awake. As he steps back to survey his surroundings again, Oz steps on a food wrapper and choses his next chore, picking up the trash. He isn't going to do too much, Flinders needs to learn to keep things clean on his own, but Oz does just enough to prevent any nasty pests from coming in to eat the crumbs.

The floor now clean, Oz goes to the living room to sit on the couch. He huffs and silently curses his life. He wouldn't switch being a beta for anything, he's happy being a beta, but damn, does it not get stressful and complicated. Just yesterday, he had Illuminaughtii all wound up and huffy; and today, he has Flinders completely out of touch and clingy as fuck.

He frowns and pulls out his phone, remembering he should let Illuminaughtii know what's happening. He fills her in on the alphas that attacked him, how Flinders was just laying in the shower looking like a corpse and how the omega isn't mentally present. Oz choses to leave out Flinders licking his face, mainly to prevent himself further embarrassment.

Illuminaughtii responds almost immediately. "Oh my gosh! Are you both okay? Did the police get involved?" Oz bites the inside of his cheek, thinking back. It's actually surprising but the police didn't get involved, at least not to what he was aware. He never heard a knock from the door. He tells Illuminaughtii he's fine, that Flinders is now asleep in bed and he didn't think the police showed up. She doesn't like that the police weren't there, but guesses it makes sense as officers tend to be alphas. 

She then asks how long he plans to stay with Flinders. Oz sets the phone down for a minute. He briefly wonders if he should call another ambulance, except this time for Flinders. His mind supplies him a vision of Flinders' eyes glazed and unfocused. Oz shivers at the thought. He asks Illuminaughtii what a hospital would do if Flinders is taken in. She takes a moment to respond. 

"I'm pretty sure they would just send him to a facility for omegas in heat. No real medical care."

That's what Oz is afraid of. He groans and replies. "Guess I'm staying with him until its all over. He's really out of it and I'm worried." Illuminaughtii sympathies with him, tells him to take care of Flinders and himself, then says goodnight. Oz didn't realize, but its almost one in the morning. He suddenly feels how tired he really is and just leans over to lay on the couch, quickly kicking off his shoes.


	3. Chapter 3

Oz doesn’t recall falling asleep, but he must have because he’s now waking up to a gross feeling on his arm, which he can’t move. He feels teeth. His eyes snap open and he sits up quickly. Flinders is on the floor next to the couch, biting at Oz’s arm. Oz yanks his arm back and shouts. “What the fuck!” The younger man just sits there staring blankly up at him. Oz looks at his arm, bruises are already forming. Flinders reaches for Oz and the beta flinches thinking he’s about to be bitten again. The omega whines and if it were from any other animal, like a cat or dog, Oz would find it cute, but its Flinders. Flinders who is currently sat on the floor in the worst heat Oz has ever seen.

Groaning, Oz glares at the man. “What do you want? I’m not a mind reader. I’m not the omega whisperer either.” Flinders begins to grind his teeth, as if he's nervous about something, except he seems pretty calm. It takes a moment, but Oz pieces two and two together. Flinders probably hasn’t eaten in a while. Oz sits up and leaves the couch, grumbling to himself about how much he hates his life. He finds the kitchen and open the fridge hoping to find leftovers or an easy microwave meal. Not finding anything, he checks the ice box and strikes gold with a frozen steak dinner. He’s had this brand before and the ‘meals’ aren’t great, but they’re still edible. The back of the box says its fine to just nuke it, so Oz does. As it cooks, he returns to the living room to check on Flinders.

Flinders is sprawled out on the couch, still very much nude. Oz, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to get Flinders dressed, goes to the bedroom to grab the clothes he set out. They’re now on the floor, along with all the bedding including the fitted sheet. How that happened, Oz has no idea.

Heading back to the living room, Oz finds Flinders where he left him. “Hey Flinders, let’s get some clothes on you.” Oz approaches Flinders and helps him sit up. “I’m getting really tired of seeing you naked.” Oz complains as he slips the tank over Flinders’ head. “Can you just put your arms through?” Oz frowns as Flinders sits with his arms in the torso of the shirt. Groaning, Oz pulls the omega’s arms through. 

Kneeling down with the shorts in hand, Oz shoves Flinders’ ankles through the leg holes and pulls them up to his knees. “Alright, can you pull them up by yourself or do I have to do everything for you?” Oz asks. Flinders just stares back. “Great.” Oz huffs and stands. “Alright, up.” He pulls the omega off the couch and pulls the shorts up around Flinders’ waist. Flinders sways and looses his footing. Oz curses and grabs the man before he can fall. “Just how fucking far gone are you, holy shit!” Flinders whines again and Oz glares back, unimpressed.

The microwave beeps, signaling the little tv dinner is ready. Oz sits Flinders on the couch and tries to go to the kitchen. Flinders clings to his arm. “I’ll be right back.” Oz says, then shoves Flinders off him. 

Oz opens the microwave and no, the tv dinner is not ready. It’s still frozen in the middle. Oz puts it in for another three minutes, standing and watching it turn on the plate. He stops the cycle with a minute left to stir the gravy with a fork. It seems done, so Oz takes the dinner into the living room.  
“Flinders, I found food in your desert of a kit-!” Oz stutters out the last of his sentence. “Chen…” Flinders is chewing on a couch cushion and has actually made progress through the upholstery, cotton spilling out around the tear. “God dammit! I can’t leave you alone for five minutes!” Oz shouts and sets the food on the table. He rips the cushion away and throws it off to the side. Flinders cries out. “Would you calm down? I have actual food!” Oz grabs the dinner tray and offers it to the omega.

Flinders grabs the tray, yanking it towards him. He brings the dinner to his face and just begins to pour the gravy into his mouth. “Use the fork!” Oz pulls the tray down and shoves the fork into Flinders’ hand. The omega drops the fork and uses his hand to pick up the meat. Before he can bite into it, Oz is pulling it away again. “No, we’re not doing this. Not watching your drink gravy and swallow a fake steak whole.” Oz picks the fork up and starts cutting the meat. He stabs a piece and offers it to Flinders. 

Flinders doesn’t hesitate in biting at the meat, but he bites the fork too hard and jerks back. He shakes his head, trying to be rid of the pain. Oz sighs in annoyance and stabs another piece for him. This time, Flinders doesn’t crack his teeth against the metal. They develop a system, almost. While Flinders’ chews, Oz cuts off another piece of meat, offering it to the other after he swallows. “Wow, I really do have to do everything for you…” Oz thinks aloud. “I didn’t think your heats were this bad. Are they like this all the time and we just never noticed? Or is this something different?” Oz doesn’t actually expect and answer and he doesn’t receive one.

The dinner is gone pretty quickly, Oz tosses the tray and rinses the fork before leaving it in the sink. He spots a large pack of water bottles and is stuck with the realization that heats can cause dehydration. This does explain all the empty water bottles in Flinders room. Oz grabs a bottle and returns to the living room.

Flinders is now on the floor, splaying out on his back like a starfish. He seems to be cooing at something, but Oz has no idea what. “You need some water.” Oz says, announcing his presence. Flinders rolls his head back, crown to the floor, to look at Oz. Sitting down next to his friend, Oz twists the lid off the bottle. “You’re going to have to sit up.” Flinders doesn’t move, so Oz reaches under him and hoists him up. The omega gets the idea, sitting up the rest of the way.

Oz holds the water bottle to Flinders’ lips, tilting it slightly. A small dribble of water runs down Flinders chin, but he manages to swallow most of it. Oz lowers the bottle to give the other a chance to breathe. Flinders’ face suddenly goes sour, then he pukes. He throws up the entire dinner and the water. The mess gets everywhere: Flinders’ lap, the water bottle and Oz’s hand, the floor and even Oz’s pants.

Oz stiffens and squeezes his eyes shut, counting to thirty. He opens his eyes again and sees Flinders is crying. Oz uses his clean hand to rub the omega’s back and shoulder. “It’s alright. You’re fine.” Oz sounding so exasperated.

Once Flinders is calm, Oz goes to get cleaning supplies. He tries to ignore the flim on his hand and the warm wetness against his knees. He dumps the bottle in the trash and cleans his hand in the sink. Oz grabs a few paper towels to dry his hands and decides to use the damp paper to wipe at his pants.

After a quick search, Oz finds a cleaning spray and small trash bags. He ignores the rags in favor of the paper towels. It's just easier to throw them away.

Back in the living room, he makes quick work of the mess, using all of Flinders' paper towels. Oz strips Flinders of the dirty clothes, so much for that, and shoves them in their own bag to be washed later. He stops to eye his own clothes. The tee he stole is fine, but his pants are disgusting. Flinders doesn't have any pants that could fit Oz. But begrudgingly, Oz rids himself of his pants and just sticks to his boxers, because his situation couldn't get any weirder.

Mess cleaned up, Oz grabs another water bottle. If Flinders is throwing up, he could already be dehydrated. This bottle goes down smoothly with the only hitch being how clingy Flinders is.

It's the middle of the day, but Oz is exhausted. He can see Flinders head bob as if he's close to falling asleep too. Leaving the living room strewn about, Oz drags Flinders to his bed. The bed is still bare. So after sitting Flinders on the floor, Oz sets to making the bed up Not bothering with tucks and folds, he just throws the sheets onto the mattress.

Oz is planning on just getting Flinders to bed then going back to the couch, but Flinders grabs his arm and tugs him onto the bed. Too tired to care, Oz lets Flinders pull him into bed. 

"This had better be over with when I wake up." Oz's last thought before passing out.

No one knows what time it is, but its dark outside. 

Wonder is struggling to remove his shirt, having already managed to pull off his hoodie. Click is fighting to keep the other clothed. "Wonder, no! You have to keep your clothes on!" Click grabs Wonder's wrists and yanks his hands away from the shirt hem. Wonder just grunts and tries to free his hands, squirming to get away.

One Topic fled the scene a while ago, choosing to hide in the garage bathroom as Wonder's scent grew thicker and heavier in the air. The alpha drops to the floor against the wall. He feels like he's losing touch with reality, and is really fighting to stay present.

Wonder wriggles away from Click and quickly ditches his shirt. Click huffs and curses under his breath in Swedish. Then Wonder starts to tear at his jeans. Click moves to pin Wonder's arms to the floor. "You cannot strip here! This is basically a public place!" Wonder seems to be growling at Click, but it's not quiet there as betas don't have the vocal capacity for such communication. 

Click holds the man to the floor. How did it get like this? 

He doesn't get the chance to think it through because Wonder is rolling them over. He continues to roll, leaving Click stunned on the floor. Wonder stops and sits up, going again to remove his pants. Click pushes himself off the floor and grabs Wonder from behind, trapping his arms against his chest. "Why are you being so insistent?" Click demands, easily holding the smaller man to his chest. Wonder lets out a screech. Then using his legs he shoves them both back onto the floor. "At least, say something!" Click hisses as he hits the floor with thud, barely avoiding hitting his head on the coffee table.

"This is ridiculous!" Click complains as he holds Wonder. Wonder twists his body and kicks his legs, trying to free himself. This goes on for several more minutes before the young man huffs and just lays still in Click's arms. "Are you done?" Click asks, out of breath. When he doesn't get an answer, he moves to sit up, keeping his arms tight around Wonder. Seems he wore himself out.

Click sighs and rests his chin on the other's head. "Jeez... You know, I never thought I'd be in this kind of situation: fighting a beta that's gone into heat to keep his clothes on." Click frowns as he feels discomfort in his left shoulder. He probably sprained it.

Wonder hums and presses his weight into Click's chest, not trying to topple them over this time. He moves his hands to Click's forearms, just letting them rest there. Click notices that Wonder's skin does feel too warm. He glances around for a way to help cool the man off. There's not much really, but Click figures he could wet Wonder's shirt in cold water and just drape it over his shoulders.

Click hesitates to release Wonder. "You keep your pants on." He commands, then unwraps his arms to stand. Wonder just drops to the floor and lays there, unmoving. Click snatches the shirt up of the floor and finds the small sink they have in the kitchen area. He runs the water for a while, trying to get it colder. Then soaks the shirt before wringing it out. 

Returning to Wonder, Click decides to just drape the shirt over his chest, not wanting to move him. Wonder flinches at the cold fabric, but relaxes. He sighs and closes his eyes. Click sits on the couch and stares down at his young friend. Wonder feels his gaze and opens his eyes to stare back. The young man's eyes are blank and distant, like he's not really there. How did this happen?

In the bathroom, One Topic splashes cold water on his face. He leans on the sink and looks into the mirror. His pupils are beginning to narrow. He shakes his head and sits on the toilet lid. He needs to get out of here before he loses himself. Wonder's scent is seeping into the bathroom, making it harder to stay present.

There's a small window in the bathroom. One Topic thinks he could open it to poke his head out and get some fresh air, but the thought of some other alpha catching a whiff scares him. He pulls out his phone, debating if he should call Human1 to come pick him up. He decides against it; with Wonder's scent this bad, they would surely challenge each other. One Topic really doesn't want that. He's so much bigger than her.

The alpha stays hunched over until light begins to peak through the window. One Topic's mind is cloudy and he's not entirely certain where he is. All he knows for sure is he cannot go past the door.

He finds it difficult to breathe with the strong scent in the air. He feels like he's going to sneeze or choke with every breath. One Topic sees light cast on the floor and looks up to see the window. He really needs fresh air.

Without thinking of consequences, One Topic stands and yanks the window open. He leans against the sill and takes a deep breath in, feeling better almost instantly.

Click is now on the floor with Wonder. The other having pulled him down to cuddle. While Click is okay with this, he never thought of Wonder as cuddlet. The man always seems to shy away from physical contact.

But it has been a long night, and right now, Click won't object to sleeping on the floor. He's actually beginning to doze off when there's a knock at the door. Click frowns and begins to search for his phone. If any of their friends are going to stop by to check on them, surely they would have called.

Click finds his phone thrown haphazardly under the coffee table. He checks for any missed calls. There are none. There's another knock on the door, this time heavier. 

Wonder sits up, his shoulders tense and Click can feel the anxiety pouring of him. The knocking changes to banging and Click jumps up. "One Topic!" There is definitely another alpha at the door.

Click can hear the other alpha start kicking the door in. He goes to yank the bathroom door open and is actually surprised its unlocked. One Topic jumps and spins around. "Get out here!" Click screams. 

The door gives way, making a loud crack. One Topic runs out with Click behind him. A large man stands in the entryway, teeth bare and snarling. One Topic growls at him, deep and dangerous. Then takes a defensive stance. Click readies himself for the coming fight. He glances around real quick and is relieved to see Wonder made himself scarce.

The man takes a step forward, challenging the two. Click thinks he must either be really cocky or really stupid, because he's going up against two men roughly the same size as him.

Then One Topic just bull rushes the man, tackling him into the wall. Click tries to keep up with what's happening. One Topic stands and takes a step back. The man pushes himself out of the wall as drywall scatters across the floor. He throws a punch, knocking One Topic further back and causing his glasses to fall off. Click jumps in and nails the man in the face.

One Topic recovers and grabs the man's arm to sling him onto the floor. They both stand over the man as he pushes himself off the floor. He spins around to tackle Click. They both crash to the floor. Click holds the man back by his shoulders as he tries to bite. One Topic grabs the man by the ankles and drags him back. Click kicking him off. 

The man tries to crawl away. One Topic grabs him and hoists him up onto his feet and throws him out the door. The man trips and falls on his face.

Click and One Topic stand in the doorway, beathing heavy and waiting for the man to leave. He doesn't move, laying where he fell. After a minute, One Topic heads back inside. Click pulls out his phone and makes a quick call to emergency services. The man probably needs an ambulance.

Hanging up, Click goes inside. He stops to try and fix the door back into place. It doesn't go back, hanging lopsided and ajar. Click quits trying and goes back to the couch.

He sees Wonder has come out of hiding and is sitting on the couch with One Topic holding him. Click sits on the other end of the couch. He notices One Topic eyeing him, but the alpha doesn't do anything to stop him from sitting down. Click can feel the pain in his shoulder return, he is going to have to wrap it. For now, he lays his head back wanting to sleep.


End file.
